Ritual is a smartphone app that people can use to pre-order their meals or coffee for pick up. They recently introduced an updated reward program, which I think will please many of their frequent users. Now when you order lunch or dinner at yourfavorite restaurants on Ritual, you collect points that can be redeemed for $ towards free food
and drinks at any partner on their network.

Ritual members will receive 10 points per every $1 spent on regular purchases on Ritual for coffee and meals. Once, you have collected 10,000 points, you are free to redeem it for $10 towards any Ritual partners. More information on the reward programhere.

Everyday Benefits

10 points per $1 on purchasesFrequent offers to earn up to 3000 points on many purchases You can get up to 20x points on certain purchases Access to Ritual exclusives like secret menus, member-only events, and moreRitual Elites

Make 8 purchases a month to unlock and maintain Ritual Elite status. 1.5x the points on regular purchasesA dedicated concierge on stand-by to assist with your ordersSpecial recognition from partners and an enhanced app experienceA surprise on your birthday (1000 points)

1000 Points

Once you've collected 10,000 points you can start redeeming them towards your favorite food at any restaurant. No fees, no strings attached.

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Cashless payments have become more prominent these past few years, as the world is now more digitally advanced. Personally, I have several apps downloaded on my iPhone to make life easier for myself. So, I was interested in using the app when I was first introduced to Ritual, a new mobile food ordering app. The Toronto-based app, Ritual, was launched earlier this year. The one thing that stands out about this app among their competitors is that they're catering more to the urban professionals working in the downtown core of Toronto.The app aims to eliminate the amount of time needed to wait in lines, and to make the overall takeout process more seamless. Most young professionals (like myself, and others) have only an hour for lunch, and I am sure they do not want to spend most of their lunchtime waiting in lines. This would be where Ritual would come in handy, as ordering lunch can be done in three simple steps (as shown in the cartoon below).

Ritual allows users to conveniently
pre-order and pre-pay for their food on the app. The Ritual app for iOS
and Android eliminates the need to wait in lines, as customers can
easily order the food from their work desk, and then simply go pick up.
It's easy to use as you choose your restaurant, order the food, and pay
with the app. There is no service fee, but Ritual does have a
discretionary tipping option (if you want to tip the restaurant's
employees). Presently, Ritual is strategically focusing on downtown
Toronto, as they have partnered up with several popular restaurants
within the Queen West, King West, Entertainment District, and Liberty
Village areas. Some of the participating restaurants are Banh Mi Boys,
Khao San Road, Fresh, P & L Burger, Mean Bao, Rose City Kitchen,
Milano Coffee, Kinton Ramen, Babur, and many more. For a full list of
participating restaurants, click here.

Another great
thing about the app is that they sometimes offer special menu items
(secret menu) with some of their partnered restaurants. These items are
only offered if you order through the app.

Additionally, the app uses location services, so it will give you a list of the closest restaurants within the vicinity of your current location. I was given the opportunity to try out the Ritual app for lunch, and one of the closest restaurants to me at the time was Banh Mi Boys. All payments are made within the Ritual app, as your credit card information are safely encrypted, so there are no need to bring out your wallet or cash. Overall, I found the Ritual app to be user-friendly, and has well designed functions.

Ordering was super easy! I browsed through Banh Mi Boy's menu, and selected my food items. I was then taken to a screen where I customize my orders (spice level), and also had the option to add sides. I completed the transaction, and was quickly taken to the "Review" page where I was able to see the total owed, and had the option to tip as well. Once that was completed, I clicked on the "Place Order" button below, and waited for the real-time notifications to let me know when I should leave the office. The whole ordering process was quick, and my food order was ready for pick-up as soon as I arrived at the restaurant.

Banh Mi Boys

Milano Espresso Bar

The One That Got Away

To get started, just download the free Ritual app on the Apple Store, or Google Play, set up your account and profile, and plug in your credit card payment information. Don't forget to turn on the phone's location services, as Ritual uses your current location to prepare orders at the right time so your order will be ready when you arrive.

Earlier last week, I had the pleasure of attending a
Royal Afternoon Tea in celebration of the Queen's 90th birthday inside Fairmont Royal York's Royal Suite. Fairmont Royal York is known as the
Royal Family's choice of residence when they visit Toronto,
and the Royal Suite is where they would stay in. Dining in the Royal
Suite was an incredible experience, and I am thankful for the
opportunity.Fairmont Royal York is an upscale hotel in the heart of
downtown Toronto at 100 Front Street West. They have been providing
afternoon tea service since they opened in 1929. Afternoon tea is served
in the Library Bar, and takes place every Saturday
& Sunday with seatings at 12pm, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Reservations are highly recommended.

Before we got to the tasting, we were introduced toExecutive Chef Robert Mills, who recently revamped the afternoon tea
menu. Having had their previous tea menu, I like this one better as it's
definitely more refined. Afternoon tea is $50 per person,
and please note that they cannot accommodate substitutions for
afternoon tea.AFTERNOON TEA MENU AT FAIRMONT ROYAL YORKFairmont Tea Selection:Fine Selection of Premium Fairmont Loose Leaf Teas

Scones:

Traditional Cranberry Scones with Devonshire Cream and a Selection of Preserves

Like most traditional afternoon tea, it's served on a
three-tier stand. The first course is from the bottom tier, which
consists of traditional cranberry scones served with Devonshire cream,
and a selection of various preserves. The scones were freshly
baked, moist, and contained nice crumbly edges. Absolutely one of the
best scones I have had.

The middle tier consisted of traditional finger sandwiches, and there
was a nice assortment of sandwiches being offered. The Organic Cucumber
with Pink Peppercorn Cream Cheese sandwich is one of the Queen's
favorite delicacies. I also enjoyed it a lot
as well. The cream cheese perfectly complemented the refreshing
cucumber to make a delicious mini sandwich.

The last tier was the dessert platter consisting of a
selection of beautifully crafted pastries. Out of the four pastries, my
two favorites were the Chantilly swans with fresh berries, and Mini
Meringue Tartlets. The golden cream puff swan was filled with
rich and creamy chantilly cream. Additionally, the Chantilly swan
pastry was part of their previous Afternoon Tea menu, but Executive Chef Robert Mill opted to keep it for the new menu as well.

Lastly, we also got to try the delectable Chocolate Biscuit Cake. It's
essentially the same cake recipe that was used for William and Kate's
royal wedding. The cake itself was decadent, and would be perfect for
any chocolate lover.

We also had the opportunity to select one choice
of loose leaf tea from their fine selections. I opted for the Genmaicha
Green Tea - ancient tea of the Samurai. Grassy, vegetative character is perfectly balanced by warm, full-bodied bakey notes that are almost
chewable. You can also enhance your afternoon tea experience with
champagne or sparkling wine for an additional cost.After our afternoon tea experience, we got the chance to go on a tour of the hoel, and I learned a lot of historical facts about Fairmont Royal York. Fairmont Royal York also offers their guests the opportunity to go on a complimentary historical hotel tour after their afternoon tea experience. Guests will embark on a tour that will take them through the hotel's famed Imperial Room, Canada's largest hotel kitchen, and Toronto's smallest bar.

Many thanks to Anita, Sonya, Jessica, and Brian of Fairmont Royal York for a lovely afternoon, and the warm hospitality.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a media luncheon at Mistura. It's a lovely upscale restaurant that serves contemporary Italian cuisine. Mistura is run by a long-time restaurateur, Paolo Paolini, who has owned several restaurants throughout the years including the critically-acclaimed Splendido, which he sold in 1996. Soon after his departure from Splendido, he opened Mistura with Chef Massimo Capra in 1997 to positive reviews. The restaurant has been in business for 19 years, and is still thriving today as a result of their ever-changing menus, and warm hospitality.

Mistura is all about proving a pleasant dining experience, as they care about the quality of the food, and
hospitality. As a result of their efforts, Mistura was awarded the Accademia Italiana Della Cucina in December 2015 for their Italian cuisine.

Chef Massimo Capra no longer helms the kitchen, and has passed it on to Chef Klaus Rohrich, who has worked in the kitchen of Mistura and Sopra for several years. Chef Klaus Rohrich may not be Italian, but he certainly knows how to take simple Italian cooking methods, and elevate it. With that being said, the menu at Mistura draws inspiration from traditional Italian cooking, but combines it with local, seasonal ingredients when possible. The menu changes seasonally, and we got a taste of the new spring menu at the luncheon.

Prior to our meal, we were treated to an array of small bites including a selection of Chef Klaus' signature charcuterie, pistachio infused mortadella, capicollo, bresaola, lonza affumicata.

My favorite starter was the crispy gulf shrimp and cantaloupe trusses, which were delectable. The sweet sauce and cantaloupe trusses were the perfect complement to the lightly coated shrimp.

We were treated to a plate containing a trio of
appetizers; the balsamic glazed Ontario lamb riblets coupled with minted
yoghurt, Ontario wild boar agnolotti in sundried sour cherry jus, and
crispy fried artichoke with "gribiche". I would definitely come back just
to order a platter of the Ontario lamb riblets, as it was that good. Normally, I find lamb
hard to eat, as it's quite tough and potent sometimes. However, the
Ontario lamb riblets served at Mistura were surprisingly tender, and the sticky Balsamic
glazed perfectly coated the ribs.

Next up was a refreshing salad, radicchio salad - with
apples, Asiago, pomegranate, black walnuts, and empire apple cider vinaigrette. The richly scented Asiago cheese combined with the sweetness
of the apples, and pomegranate make this a very interesting combination
dish.

Lunch was rather filling, but we ended the lunch with the Mistura Inverted Cassata for dessert. It was a refreshing dessert, and rather light as well. Great way to end a meal!

Despite it being a fine-dining establishment, Paolo Paolini prides himself on providing a warm and upscale atmosphere with no hint of pretentiousness. All of the staff members are friendly, quick without being too overbearing that you feel rushed. Private functions are also available as Mistura has two private dining rooms. Additionally, the upstairs level of the restaurant is Sopra, the second-floor event space which can seat up to 110 people.

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Author

Welcome to Foodaholic! A Toronto-based food reviews, travel and lifestyle blog. My name is Sandi, and I am a female living in the city of Toronto (Canada). I am also an entrepreneur working in the field of logistics and e-commerce. When I am not working, I enjoy blogging, traveling, reading, taking photos, and of course eating. I started this blog as I am an avid foodie who also loves to travel, and I wanted an outlet to share my personal experiences.

Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions, media inquires, feedback, etc ... please email me at foodaholic12@gmail.com.

Food Rating System

The rating list is based on the estimated price of a meal for one person (including taxes).

$ = Inexpensive, under $15$$ = Moderately affordable, between $15-$25$$$ = Expensive, between $25-$50$$$$ = Very expensive or fine dining, $50 and up

Disclaimer (Reviews)

This was blog was started for the purpose of sharing my opinions of restaurants that I have dined at (or took out delivery). Some of you may have different taste buds or a completely different dining experience than what I've had, and may disagree with my reviews, which is fine. However, please note that all of the reviews featured on this blog are solely based on my dining experience. Thanks :)